Table 4.
Study design, effectiveness, advantages, and disadvantages categorized per type of technology.
| Study design | Effectiveness | Advantages | Disadvantages | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category 1: Interactive, predominantly language-based interventions (n = 17) | Experimental: n = 9 Qualitative: n = 4 Quantitative cross-sectional: n = 2 Literature study: n = 2 |
More effective: n = 7 Ineffective: n = 2 Not assessed: n = 8 |
Effectiveness: n = 13 Efficiency: n = 10 Positive opinion: n = 8 Fit with patient’s needs, preferences and environment: n = 8 Fidelity in delivering interventions: n = 5 Increasing patient’s access to care: n = 4 Unique information: n = 1 |
Effectiveness: n = 7 Negative opinion: n = 4 Inefficiency: n = 3 Not suitable for every patient: n = 2 Decrease or lack of in-person contact: n = 2 Adverse negative consequences: n = 1 |
| Category 2: Communication technology for synchronous interpersonal interaction (n = 17) | Literature study: n = 11 Qualitative: n = 3 Quantitative cross-sectional: n = 2 Quasi-experimental: n = 1 |
More effective: n = 1 Not assessed: n = 16 |
Positive opinion: n = 13 Increasing patient’s access to care: n = 12 Efficiency: n = 12 Effectiveness: n = 9 Fit with patient’s needs, preferences and environment: n = 1 Unique information: n = 1 |
Negative opinion: n = 7 Privacy: n = 7 Decrease or lack of in-person contact: n = 7 Effectiveness: n = 7 Technological malfunctioning: n = 6 Inefficiency: n = 6 Lack of standardization: n = 5 Not suitable for every patient: n = 2 |
| Category 3: Simulations of offense-related realistic situations (n = 6) | Quasi-experimental: n = 2 Quantitative cross-sectional: n = 2 Qualitative: n = 1 Literature study: n = 1 |
More effective: n = 1 Ineffective: n = 1 Not assessed: n = 4 |
Positive opinion: n = 4 Effectiveness: n = 4 Unique information: n = 4 Increasing patient’s access to care: n = 2 Fit with patient’s needs, preferences and environment: n = 1 |
Adverse negative consequences: n = 3 Effectiveness: n = 2 Not suitable for every patient: n = 1 Privacy: n = 1 Technological malfunctioning: n = 1 |
| Category 4: Simulations of offense-related realistic stimuli (n = 4) | Quantitative cross-sectional: n = 3 Literature study: n = 1 |
Not assessed: n = 4 | Unique information: n = 4 Effectiveness: n = 3 Fit with patient’s needs, preferences and environment: n = 1 |
Effectiveness: n = 1 Inefficiency: n = 1 |
| Category 5: Games (n = 4) | Qualitative: n = 2 Quantitative cross-sectional: n = 1 Literature study: n = 1 |
Not assessed: n = 4 | Fit with patient’s needs, preferences and environment: n = 4 Effectiveness: n = 3 Increasing patient’s access to care: n = 2 Positive opinion: n = 1 Unique information: n = 1 |
Negative opinion: n = 2 Adverse negative consequences: n = 2 Effectiveness: n = 2 Inefficiency: n = 2 Not suitable for every patient: n = 1 Decrease or lack of in-person contact: n = 1 |
| Category 6: Platforms with user-generated and shared content (n = 2) | Quasi-experimental: n = 1 Qualitative: n = 1 |
More effective: n = 1 Not assessed: n = 1 |
Effectiveness: n = 2 Increasing patient’s access to care: n = 1 Fit with patient’s needs, preferences and environment: n = 1 Efficiency: n = 1 |
Adverse negative consequences: n = 1 |